The active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, semaglutide, appears to do more than control diabetes and weight. New research presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona, Spain, shows that people taking semaglutide experienced nearly 40% fewer asthma attacks. The finding comes from a large real-world analysis of UK health records, adding a surprising respiratory twist to a drug already known for metabolic effects.
A Surprising Lung Benefit Emerges From Diabetes Data
Researchers at Imperial College London, led by Professor Chloe Bloom, wanted to test whether GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs that includes semaglutide, might reduce acute respiratory events. Previous studies hinted at anti-inflammatory properties, but asthma and COPD outcomes were never formally measured in clinical trials. So the team turned to electronic medical records from the UK, comparing people who started GLP-1 drugs with those who took a different diabetes medication called sulfonylurea.
Each of the four parallel studies included between 20,000 and 22,000 patients. The results were clear: people with airway diseases who used GLP-1 therapies had fewer asthma attacks and COPD flare-ups than those on other diabetes drugs. The effect was not uniform across all GLP-1 medications, however. Semaglutide stood out as the strongest performer.
Semaglutide Shows the Strongest Effect for Asthma Patients
Semaglutide was linked to a nearly 40% reduction in asthma attacks, the most pronounced benefit seen in the study. It also appeared to cut COPD flare-ups by about 20%. Dr. Bohee Lee presented the findings, which suggest that patients who already qualify for GLP-1 drugs due to obesity or type 2 diabetes might gain extra respiratory protection without any additional effort.
The study does not prove that semaglutide directly improves lung health. It only shows an association in real-world data. But for the millions of people with both metabolic conditions and respiratory diseases, the potential dual benefit is noteworthy. The researchers stress that these results should not yet change how doctors prescribe the drug.
What This Means for Patients and Future Research
Professor Bloom emphasized that the findings are encouraging but not enough to recommend semaglutide as a treatment for asthma or COPD on its own. People with these lung conditions should not start GLP-1 receptor agonists specifically for respiratory reasons outside current prescribing guidelines. The next step is clinical trials designed to measure respiratory outcomes directly, which could confirm whether the lung benefits are real and who might benefit most.
For now, the study adds a new layer to the story of semaglutide, a drug already reshaping diabetes and obesity care. If future trials confirm these results, it could become a tool for managing two chronic conditions at once. Until then, the numbers offer hope but not yet a prescription.
